"It's about time! What took you so long?" Zack asked as Mick ducked under the garage.
Mick glared at the young man. "Why didn't you tell me that Noir's coming back?" He asked angrily.
Zack had the look of a man that felt sorry for living at that moment.
"I didn't know-" Zack attempted to say, but was cut off by Mick.
"Don't you dare fucking lie to me. Why didn't you just tell me?"
Zack looked up at his old friend. "I didn't know how you would take it. I was going to tell you today, after practice."
"Then let's practice, so you can tell me all about it." Mick growled.
'Are you sure you want to hear his lies?'
Mick ignored the voice, whom he's come to call Henry.
The two walked into Zack's "recording studio," which was just a large room connected to the side of the garage. It was soundproofed and had everything an aspiring band would need. Except a manager. Oh well.
How about an introduction to the rest of the band? Esteban Alarcon, AKA Stevie, Stage Name: Phantom-Jack, on the lead guitar. Shiori Yamazaki Stage Name: The Japanese Jewel, one of the few people that Mick new that even owned a wub-wub guitar. It's like a synthesizer for a guitar. Shiori is a Japanese girl that moved to Silver City almost six years ago. She didn't have very many friends at first, and could barely speak a single word of English. To make a long story short, Mick reached out to her and they became friends. Zack has her wear a school uniform during every gig, calls it fan-service. Right. Anyways... Zack, Stage Name: King Killer, Screaming vocals and bass guitar. Zack's the leader of the band, and also writes half the songs they play. Then, there's Karin Shale, Stage Name: Princess Pain, on the drums. Karin used to date Mick, before the incident three years ago. She's still kind of soar about it, but, oh well. Now she dates Zack. Go figure, right? And now, the second in command: Mick, "The Prince Of Obscurity!" on the rhythm and normal vocals. Zack insists that he plays each gig wearing leather pants, shirt-less, showing off his tattoos. That's also, apparently, fan-service. Now that's some bull shit.
And that's the entire group of "Violence Of The Dead." V.O.T.D. for short.
"Good afternoon, Mick-sama. It is a pleasure to see you are well." Said Shiori, bowing politely.
"It is good to see you as well, Shiori." Responded Mick, bowing back to the girl. He, fortunately for her, missed Shiori's slight blush.
"What song are we doing today?" Asked Stevie. " How about we do an Avenged cover?"
"We did that last time." Said Zack. Denied BITCH. Sorry.
"Why don't we just do "Hell is My Kingdom Bones?" Asked Mick, almost falling asleep on the couch.
"That is a good plan, Mick-sama." Said Shiori, blushing again, slightly.
Mick opened one of his eyes and smiled at the girl. "Thank you, Shiori."
"Yeah, too bad nobody asked you." Growled Karin to Shiori. They never really liked each other much. Things got even more intense after Karin and Mick broke up.
"Anata no orokana meinu seikÅ o shattodaun shimasu." Shiori said to her, sweetly.
"Now now, girls. Play nicely." Said Stevie.
"Shut the fuck up." Karin said angrily.
"Karin!" Yelled Zack. "Quit being a bitch!"
Shiori scoffed. "Do not waste your breath, Zack-san. That is like asking a tiger to change its stripes."
"Let's just get this practice over. We have an important gig tomorrow." Growled Zack.
Everyone took their place.
"Let's do "Hell is My Kingdom of Bones." How does that sound?" Asked Stevie.
"Whatever." Grumbled Karin, sitting behind her drum set.
"Let's go." Said Zack, checking his mic.
Shiori started by playing a couple of light techno sounds on her wub-wub guitar. Mick jumped in with his rhythm. Stevie was right on with him, playing his lead. Then, Zack started singing.
Zack :
(Death whisper) My worst nightmare? (Screams) I DON'T FEAR SHIT!
Karin started owning the drums like a boss. She may be a bitch, but damn, can she play.
Mick:
Torches blazed and sacred chants were praised.
Zack:
I go ballistic!
I needed time to think to get the memories from my mind
Mick and Zack:
Hell is my kingdom of bones
Zack:
(Death Whisper) I'll cut your fucking throat out.
In the fields the bodies burning.
Stevie jumps in for a solo on his lead.
Mick(Only):
I regret not fighting for a good cause.
All the slander and double-speak
The thing that makes me happy was torn from my grasp.
I think that our time together is it fading
Hell is my kingdom of bones.
To disappear, I hid in the darkest recesses of my mind.
Late at night, I think about our wonderfully fucked up world.
I never thought you'd leave
I'd rather stay here than go but I know that
I feel sad, because I'm alive, and thousands of people aren't.
7:30 Friday evening
Hell is my kingdom of bones.
To disappear, I hid in the darkest recesses of my mind.
Late at night, I think about our wonderfully fucked up world.
I never thought you'd leave
Mick and Zack:
Hell is my kingdom of bones
Everyone who wins in the great escape
Zack:
(Death Whisper) I'll cut your fucking throat out.
In the fields the bodies burning
Mick and Zack:
Hell is my kingdom of... BOOOOOOONES!
The music fades and the song is over.
"Okay, you guys." Said Mick. "I need to go. It's getting kind of late. See you all tomorrow." Mick left, waving at his friends.
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, HALF WAY BACK TO MICKS PLACE.
'You do realize that Shiori has a mad crush on you, right?' Asked Henry.
Mick sighed. "For the last time. She does not have a crush on me. She's just... really polite."
'Then why does she call you sama and everyone else san?'
"She's known me longer."
'That's a bullshit excuse. You're just scared.'
"Shut up, Henry. You don't know how my mind works."
'Bad choice of words, bro.'
Mick and Henry's argument was interrupted by the sound of someone yelling from above them.
"SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" Came the loud scream of someone falling out of the sky.
Mick hopped back a bit, and a man dropped, right at his feet. Mick looked down at him for a moment.
Mick looked up again just in time to see someone else, wearing a parachute. This next person landed squarely on the first mans back. It was a young woman, maybe late twenties early thirties. She was pretty, with long black hair tied up in a pony tail. She wore a pair of wire-rimmed glasses that she was in the process of straightening. She looked up, raking Mick with an emotionless glance. She seemed unimpressed in the end.
"Hello." The woman said. "My name is Samantha, and this idiot under me." She stomped for emphasis. "Is my employer, Shikako. It is a pleasure to meet you." She held her hand out, obviously expecting Mick to shake it. Mick looked up at the sky just in time to see what appeared to be a black hole suddenly close.
Mick sighed, but shook the girls hand anyway.
"Oh, steward!" Came the muffled voice of the fucked up Shikako. "Can you get off me now? You are wearing high heels, and while they are very pretty, but... I FEEL LIKE I'M GETTING STABBED BY A PAIR OF FUCKING BUTTERKNIVES!"
Samantha sighed. "Yes sir." She said, almost sarcastically. She hopped off of his back, allowing him to stand, so Mick could actually get a good look at his face. Black spiked back hair with a crimson outline. He had a sadistic grin etched onto his features. Green eyes, six feet tall and a large, diagonal scar that went through his right eye.
Shikako popped his back, slightly glaring at Samantha, before noticing Mick. "What's up, Young Buck? Name's Shikako. And yours is...?"
Mick shook his head. Why did weirdos flock to him like that. "My name is Mick." He said, emotionless.
Shikako almost frowned. Great. An emo.
"Well, come on." Said Mick, turning back on his path.
It was Samantha who spoke. "Why should we follow you?"
Mick stopped, barely turning to face them. "Well, you fell out of a black hole, and I've never seen either of you around here before, so I'm guessing you probably need somewhere to stay for the night. Are you coming or what?" He continued walking.
'Well, that was dramatic.' Said Henry.
"Shut up." Mick mumbled to himself.
Shikako and Samantha frowned, but shrugged. It was impolite to turn down an offer of kindness.
THE OTHER DIMENSION
Project Nine was pissed.
Well, he would be, if he had emotion. Not only did his prey slip through his fingers, again, but now it almost seemed impossible to find her.
Until he found Shikako's dimensional portal device.
Samantha and Shikako may have escaped, but hell is hot on their trail.
Nine looked at the black hole, coding it to Samantha's DNA, so he would end up in the same dimension. There was going to be a reckoning. Swift, and painful.